Death rates tend to go up around the holidays, and some researchers have started calling the trend the merry Christmas coronary and happy New Year heart attack.

Cardiologist Keith Churchwell of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute said hospitals often see heavier traffic at those times.

A national database on the 53 million deaths that occurred in the U.S. between 1973 and 2001 showed that deaths from heart disease peak in December and January, with spikes on Christmas and New Year's Day.

Churchwell said it could be that people who are having symptoms of heart trouble prior to the holiday season tend to delay going to the doctor.

"They do so because of obligations at home, not wanting to spoil holiday fun, not wanting to deal with the possibility of going to the hospital and being taken care of over the holiday period," he said.

Also, some people view the holidays as a reason to take a break from their exercise and diet programs.

It can also be a time to drink more alcohol.

"Alcohol has a toxic effect on the heart muscle in a number of different ways, but in particular it can lead to an irritation of the heart muscle," Churchwell said. "This can lead to atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm that is a classic finding of holiday heart."

Churchwell emphasized the importance of taking medications such as high blood pressure pills and blood thinners when people travel out of town for the holidays.

Churchwell advises his patients to enjoy the holidays, but to try to integrate the heart-healthy habits they have in place with the activities of the holidays.

Cindy Osborn, a clinical dietitian, offered some tips to stay heart healthy over the holidays.

Don't try to diet to lose weight during the holidays. Rather, set a goal of maintaining weight.

Pick one day to eat what you want; just don't make it last four days.

Avoid saving calories for an evening event so you are not tempted to overeat due to hunger.

Try new foods rather than going for chips and dips. If it's something new, we tend not to take as much.

Don't go to a party hungry. An hour before the party, have a snack high in protein such as yogurt, fruit or cheese.

Turkey is a good choice -- it's lean. Eggnog and alcohol, on the other hand, have lots of calories.

Stay away from the buffet table. Fill your plate once and step away, rather than hanging around, nibbling.

Take a toothbrush with you. Once you eat, brush your teeth and then keep a beverage in your hand to sip on.

Eat slowly and engage in conversation to slow down the process of eating. It takes your brain about 20 minutes to get the signal that it's full.

If you take something to the party, modify it to make it low-fat so there is at least one item that is safe to eat.